Thera 1.43: Sumangala
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(43):Sumangala Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =43. Sumaŋgala= He was reborn in this Buddha-age at a small village near Sāvatthī, in a poor family. Grown up, he earned hie living in the fields, furnished with a little sickle, plough, and spade. Now one day when King Pasenudi of Kosala was bestowing a great offering on the Exalted One(Buddha) and the Monk’s order, he went, taking milk and butter, along with men who were taking woodwork. Seeing the attentions and honours paid to the Monks and Sisters, he thought: These Sākiyan monks live in sheltered lodgings and in delicate robes-what if I too were now to leave the world(for monkhood)?' And he approached a certain great Thera and made known his intention. The Thera out of compassion admitted him, and sent him into the forest with an exercise. But in solitude he pined and wavered, and departed to his native village. Then as he went along he saw the peasants ploughing the fields in soiled garments, covered with dust blown by hot winds. And he thought: 'Truly these fellows earn their living in great misery!' And feeling anxious, his insight approaching maturity, he set himself to do the exercises that had been given him, going to the roots of a tree, and remaining in seclusion. Thus he finally won arahantship(enlightenment). Thereafter, to celebrate his own emancipation(nirvana) from the sorrows of life, he broke forth into this saying(gatha): ---- 43 Sumuttiko sumuttiko sāhu sumuttikomhi tīhi khujjakehi|| Asitāsu mayā naŋgalāsu mayā kuddālāsu1 mayā|| Yadipi idhameva idhameva athavā pi alameva alameva|| Jhāya sumaŋgala jhāya sumaŋgala appamatto vihara sumaŋgalā' ti.|| || ---- 43 Well rid, well rid, O excellently rid Am I from these three crooked tasks and tools, Rid of my reaping with your sickles, rid Of working with ploughs, and rid's my back Of bending Over these wretched little spades. Though they be ever here, yes, ever here, Enough of them, I say, for me, enough! Go meditate, Sumaŋgala, yes, go And meditate, Sumaŋgala, and remain Earnest and diligent, Sumaŋgala!1 ---- 1 This curious and racy verse runs into four lines of text, is of no assignable metre or symmetry, and would seem to represent a Walt-Whitmanesque effort of a peasant bhikkhu(monk) to turn out rough-hewn the utterance of his emotions. As such, it is of striking interest, and is paralleled in homeliness and verve by the verse of Muttā (Sisters, Ps. xi.), herself of humble circumstances, rejoicing to be rid of her special trio of crooked things-husband, quern, and churn. ---- 1.5-343 Commentary on the Stanzs of =Sumaṅgala Thera= 3,1. The stanza starting with Sumuttiko constitutes that of the venerable Thera Sumaṅgala. What is the origin? He, also, having devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating merit conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths in this and that existence, sprang up as a tree-divinity at the time of the Blessed One Suddhattha. One day, he happeed to notice the Naster who kept Himself standing in a single robe after His bath, became pleasing-minded and clapped his elbows, On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human-beings, was reborn in a poverty-stricken family, owing to the consequence of the deed done likewise, in a certain village, not far from Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose. His name was Sumaṅgala. On having come of age he led his life as a cultivator, having as his implements, an inferior ploughshare for ploughing and a spade. One day, when a great charitable offering was being made to the Blessed One as well as to the clergy of monks by king Pasenadī Kosala he collected materials for making charity, and had come bringing a jar of milk-curds in the company of the people who were on their way to that great royal charity. On having seen honour (sammāna) and reverence (sakkāra) paid to the bhikkhus(monks), he thought to himself thus:– “These monks, the sons of the Sākiyans, well-dressed in delicate robes, enjoying good meals dwelt in wind-free monasteries; would it not be well should I also become a monk?,” approached a certain great Thera and let the latter know about his own intention for renunciation to becoem a monk. That Thera, being merciful to him made him a monk and let him know the mental exercxise (kammaṭṭhāna). Dwelling in the forest he beceme bored over living all alone, became dissatisfied (ukkaṇṭhita) and being desirious of forsaking the Order (vibbhamituṃ) went to his relatives village and on his way there, he encountered the cultivators, preparing (bandhitvā) the mershy land (kacchaṃ), ploughing the field, dressed in dirty dress with their bodies strewn with dust from all around, afflicted by wind and heat, suitably gained remorse saying to himself thus:– “Indeed, these creatures have to suitably suffer from misery characteristic of their lives (jīvaka nimittaṃ). There stood close to him (upaṭṭhāsi) such mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) as was collected by him because of his knowledge (ñāṇa). He went towards the root of a certain tree, gained suitable seclusion, made himself mindful wisely (yoniso), developed pure insight (vipassanā), and attained Arahantship in the succession of the noble right path (maggapaṭipātiyā). Hence, it has been stated in the Apadāna:– “The Excellent Conqueror Atthadassī, the eldest of the world, the bull among men, having specially come out of the monastery, approached the lake. After having had His bath and a drink of water, the self-awakened Buddha came up (from the lake), in a single robe. The Blessed One stood Himself there looking at different directions. I approached my mansion and I saw the leader of the world. I was glad and with my joyful mind at that juncture, I clapped my elbows. I was engaged in (payutto) dancing and singing, as well as five forms of musical instruments, brilliently shining, similar to the sun (sataraṃsī), resplendent also resembling gold. Whichever existence I became reborn in, whether divine or human, I did conquer all creatures; my fame was abundant. O Well-bred man! I do adore you. My adoration is to you, O most excellent person! Having made yourself satisfied, you, the Sage, satisfied other people. Having sat down on my belongings (pariggahe), made the virtuous joyous (hāsa) and attended upon the self-awakened Buddha, I was reborn in the Tusita heaven. Sixteen hundred aeons (kappa) ago from now I became two, nine and one thought-of (dvinava eka cintita) world kings possessed of mighty army and endowed with seven ‘gems’. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. 3,2. Having however, attained Arahantship, he uttered a stanza, starting with “Sumuttiko,” making his joyous utterance by way of announcing his own prosperity and exquisite escape (vimutti) from misery (dukkha). 43. There, Sumuttiko is to be construed thus:– This one to whom there is freedom (mutti) which constitutes the condition of having no existence, excellently (sandara) and absolutely (accantikatāya); thus, sumuttiko (a well escaped individual). He said “Sumuttiko snapping his fingers because of the fact that, that clear freedom (vimutti) happened, however, to be praise-worthy and wonderful (acchariya). Again there in his excellent emancipation (vimutti), in order to point out the firmness (daḷhabhāva) of his own pleasant piousness (pasāda), he said thus: “Sāhu saumuttiko’mhi (well done! I am excellently emancipated).” Good indeed! I am well amancipted; thus, is the meaning. From where, however, has this one become excellently emancipated? Desiringly also (kāmañca), this Thera had become well emamcipated from all kinds of misery (dukkha) which comprises rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa); however, in order to show, now, his own misery (dukkha) which stood close to him (upaṭṭhitaṃ) and which had been exceedingly undesirable (aniṭṭhabhūtaṃ), he said thus:– “Tīhi khujjakehi,” and so on. There, khujjakehi means with the nature of being small or inferior; alternatively, with inferior characteristics. This is the word (vacanaṃ) in the ablative case (nissakka) in consideration of the grammatical word mutta (muttasaddāpekkhāya). Indeed a cultivator, though being not inferior refers to (dasseti) himself making himself inferior in three places:– in reaping, ploughing and doing spade-work. Indeed, that cultivator, however, did the reaping, etc. 43,1. Now, in order to show them substantially in their individual forms (sarūpato), he said thus:– “Asitāsu maya, naṅgalāsu mayā, khuddakuddālasu maya.” There asitāsu mayā is to be construed thus:– I have escaped from sickles, the reaping implements (lavitta). In the ablative case, this word is, however, in the locative sense. In the remaining cases also the method (naya) is but this (eseva). Others, however, say so:– “By me had been deviated (khujjita) from the condition of working with sickles.” In their opinion (matena), this word (vacana) is either in the sense of locative (bhumma) or instrumetive to indicate circumstantial cause (hetu). “Naṅgalāsu” is to be construed thus:– It has been said so having made distortion of gender: from ploughs (naṅgalehi) and from ploughing implements (kasirehi); thus, is the meaning. It has been said thus:– “Khuddakakuddālāsu, in inferior spades,” because he was either not being by nature (appākatattā) with the behaviour (valañjana) or because of the nature of the spade resorted to (valañjita) by himself. There is such a contest as “kuṇṭhakuddālāsu, in blunt spades,” also. But by behaviour or tracing (valañjana) in the diggings of excessive digging up (khiṇakhaṇitta) Idhameva is to be construed thus:– The letter ‘m’ is maker of union of words. Word ‘vā’ is but an indeclinable particle (nipāta). Because of being stationed in the village, those sickles and so on, whatever they may be, they are but near me even here; in spite of being likewise the same is but enough (for me); thus, is the meaning. By way of being in a hurry (turita), again, this is an expression (vacana) of sympathy (āmeḍita), Jhāyā is to be construed thus:– It is by way of Jhāna of proper attainment of fruition (phalasamāpatti) and by way of divine dwelling and so no for the purpose of currently present happiness; thus jhāya (do meditate). Sumaṅgala means:– he addresses himself. In the jhāna, however, sympathy (āmeḍitaṃ) is made for the purpose of showing respect (ādara). Appamatto vihara is to be construed thus:– O Sumaṅgala! You should be diligent even everywhere for the attainment of bountiful (vepulla) mindfulness and wisdom (paññā); therefore, now, you might live happily. Some scholars, however say thus:– “Even not having attained Arahantship, despising the distress of the household life according as it happened to him, for the promotion of his special delight in the dispensation (sāsana) for the proper entry into the path of clear insight (vipassanā), the Thera recited this stanza, later, developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship.” By means of their thinking, the meaning of the words: “Jhāya appamatto vihara (meditate, live diligently)” does but fit in (yujjati) by way of the right path of spiritual insight (vipassanā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sumaṅgala has ended. ----